Tegan and Taj- An awkward romance

Rasera nodded, knowing full well why Tsuna didn't like Akar, she had seen the memories of the day he had left and it wasn't a pretty sight. "We plan to head to the Everbridge and from there...I'm not sure. I know Akar needs to return for some business and I would rather not separate from him again." She said with some amount of confidence. She would rather die with Akar than to have him die on the battle field alone. "I believe he intends to come back in here before we leave..." She said, looking through the open door down the hallway to where he might be. She looked back to Tsuna, "I hope one day you are able to forgive Akar for what he has done." She said softly, hoping she didn't reveal too much that she knew.

She playfully laughed as Akar threw the water on her, reaching up and wiping the water from her face and hair. Rasera looked over to where she knew Tsuna was, knowing Akar wanted to say goodbye but she said nothing. This was not her place to do anything and certainly it wasn't her decision to decided when. The demons Tsuna was facing inside will have to be dealt with on her own time. As Akar stepped back she nodded her head and then looked to Canice. "It was nice meeting you." She said, turning to leave the room with Akar. When the door was closed she sighed gently and placed a hand on his arm as reassurance and smiled. "I'm sure they were happy to see you, both of them." She said, entwining her hand with his own larger one.

"You know, one of these days, you are going to realize that you can get a cold too." She teased, "Its not just a woman thing, I promise." She wrapped the familiar material around her body and drew the hood up around her knowing that even if she tried to fight Akar in keeping the cloak for himself it wasn't going to happen. She stepped out onto the rain, inhaling the early evening air. It was thick with rain, this part of the country seemed to always be getting rain year round. She went to the horse, patting her side ever so gently once she knew Rasera was there and waited for Akar. "Shall we?"

When Rasera was settled in front of Akar she leaned against the solid form of his chest and sighed happily. "You know where, Akar, you have business at the Everbridge." She said, turning slightly in the saddle so their eyes could met. She pushed her lips against his own for a long and tender moment. "And I will follow you anywhere." Not that she really had a choice, being on a horse but she was sure that her point was made and that he knew there was no room for argument for her coming. She wasn't going to be left alone again, to be scare that Akar was even alive. It was only a few short weeks but they had been stressful and filled with fear and guilt that she had not been by his side.

Rasera felt into the comfortable rhythm as they rode and leaned against Akar, placing her hand over his when he wrapped it around her. She felt so...right, and comfortable that she didn't notice the flicker of uneasiness in Sorrahkin when her ears went back. She simply enjoyed Akar's presence and let her eyes drift close, entrusting that he would keep her on the horse or inform her if they were in trouble.

A guard moved slightly and carefully, watching the pair leave the house and a wide grin broke out onto his features. He had been waiting for one of the DDC members to go off on their own and now he had the chance. Even more so, he'd gain a female and a fine looking stallion. He was a dark with dark features, tan from spending man days in the sun training under no other than Zartear himself. He had wild, dark brown eyes that craved to do as his leaders would have wanted. He broke off from Racksom without any orders to do so but he had a plan. Yes, he would bring back a prize to Racksom for sure. Riding along with four other men, he kept pace with them but at a distance so as not to tip them off. And out of no where he launched the attack, pushing his horse to keep speed and ran up to Akar's horse. In one strong movement, he jumped from his horse, grabbing Rasera's arm and peeling her away from Mask as he rolled on the ground uncaring if he rolled on her in the process.

The man had hoped the motion would have knocked the rider down, and quickly got his wits together as he grabbed Rasera and brought a sword to the soft flesh on her throat. He waited to see what would happen, and felt rather confident as his men surrounded the area.

Rasera's entire world went upside down, literally as she was grabbed from Akar and tossed to the ground. The heavier weight of a man landed on her, taking the breath from her lungs but as fast as he was on her he got off and grabbed her hair, pulling a cold blade to her throat. What the hell just happened?

The man's grin widened when the man he attacked had a fight in his eye. There was nothing more fun than breaking a man to his will. "Jenrei, and proud to hold the banner under Zartear." He grinned, there was no way the man couldn't know who Zartear was. Sure, there was war going on in the west and had not yet reached these lands but he knew that this man was from the DDC. "I've been waiting for you, Mask of the DDC. I didn't know you had a pretty flower with you though." He grinned, holding Rasera closer to him. "Come join me in Racksom and perhaps you shall see that the girl lives. And don't do anything rash now, I've got my men all around ready to shoot an arrow through your heart." He pressed the blade closer to her throat to emphasis his point, drawing a thin line of blood and a slightly distressed noise from the girl in his grasps.

"No! Akar, just run!" Rasera called, and she had earned a swift slap to the face for it. She let her head hang to the side, recovering from the sting and going quiet. Jenrei held the blade to her throat once more and then looked to who he now knew was called Akar. "Well?"

Jenrei relaxed slightly when Akar threw down his weapons and he knew had had won. That was the problem with the DDC, or at least most of them anyway, they were all too caring. They left gaps in the defenses of their hearts and souls, leaving their partners as bait for people like him to come and get it. "Bind him." He ordered his men. One of the ones closest to Akar grabbed his weapons, taking the one from Sorrahkin and putting them on his own horse. He then walked back to Akar, bounding his arms tightly with rope and make sort of a leash to his horse.

Jenri moved, doing the same to Rasera and making sure to pat her down slowly and thoroughly for weapons before attaching her to his own horse. "Now now, I have to keep the flower safe." He said to her, grabbing her chin to force her to look at him. "Try anything and I will force you to watch his death and I will take pleasure in your body until I take your own life." He warned her, the threat very real. There was a dark stain of a bruise forming on her face where she had been slapped, marring her perfect skin and it was enough to keep her quiet. "Well now, lets have a good trip, eh?" He laughed, jumping onto his horses back. "Make sure to take the horse as well and keep it at the very back. I don't want it pulling anything funny for its master."

One of the men in the back made a lasso quickly and threw it around Sorrahkin's neck catching onto her and pulling tightly to ensure she couldn't slip out. The last man had done a similar thing on the other side of her.

Rasera looked to Akar, his intense gaze had only left her for a few moments and she knew what he was thinking. Not due to her powers, but of her knowledge of him as a person. She wanted nothing more than to have him free, to warn the DDC and get him out of danger but she knew better than to assume he would simply leave her and Sorrahkin there with the SR army on their way to Racksom, where Zartear was.

The days walk was a hard one, the men had kept as swift of a pace as they could, and whenever Rasera or Akar had gone down they simply resorted to dragging them until they found the strength to stand once more. Camp was made and Jenrei tied the two of them to a post, bending down to give Akar and stern look. "Don't do anything you wouldn't want to end this girls life." He said, running his hand through Rasera's silky hair before standing and joining his men.

Rasera tested her bonds, knowing full well they were secure and she was unable to undo them. She leaned against the post, her back to Akar's and sighed. "Seems we have a knack for trouble." She tried to lighten his mood, in this position she could feel his hand and twisting her own with some amount of discomfort she put her smaller one in his own.

There had been some cuts and bruises on Rasera, and she was tired but she knew she was going to live. "I'm fine." She said softly. He never thought about himself and for the first time Rasera was angry with him, angry that he would think she could leave him here to be killed. "You know very well I wouldn't want you to do that." She said, making sure to give an extra squeeze to his hand in punishment for even having such thoughts. "For once in your life, think about yourself preservation if only a little. They aren't going to kill me because they want your cooperation." So long as they made it past the first few days of walking and being tied they should live. They were treating them as horses, no food or water for a few days to break them. The rain had at least helped to keep them from being dehydrated so she was almost thankful for the gloomy state of this side of the country.

Rasera was a little disappointed when Akar didn't respond to her touches at first and then relaxed when he did holding onto his hand gently. When he began rubbing his hand against her she could feel the cuts on his hand and winced inwardly. Today had been hard on them and she guessed it was only going to get worse tomorrow.

"I love you too..." She whispered back, letting herself lean against the post. Her stomach growled from hunger and she laughed nervously. "Sorry." She said, knowing they had had to be hungry.

"How interesting." A voice said from the darkness and approached them. He was a shorter man, standing less than six foot, with sandy blonde hair that was kept short. he had defined muscles and a large halberd on his back. He bent down between the two. "So this is who we got. Names Faref, seems I am your keeper tonight. I may be all for fighting for our cause, but there is no reason to treat a lady so unkindly."

Rasera cocked her head at the man, up close he was younger than most of the men and that is where she assumed his kind nature had come from. He must not have seen a lot of blood shed yet. She soon recognized him as one of the men who had been keeping Akar's horse at bay.

Rasera held tightly onto Akar's hand, not planning on saying much of anything and to let them do the talking. "No can do, boss man would have my head and that would be a bit back tracking in his plans anyways." The man said, taking a seat in front of the two. "I can however give you both some water." He said, looking around for a moment to ensure no one was around. Then he pulled out a canteen of water, opening it and tipping the contents to Rasera's mouth making her drink it before she could protest. He put the canteen back down for a moment.

Rasera let the cool liquid run down her parched throat and was more than thankful for the water. She made sure to savor every last drop. "Thank you." She said and then he moved to Akar, letting him get a good drink before sitting back down. He waited until the two looked a little more comfortable. "I-..." He hesitated for a moment. "Look, the only reason I actually came over here was to warn you. Jenrei will torture you for information on our way back to Racksom starting tonight. And not only you, but the girl too. Its better to just tell him what you know before either of you get beaten too badly."

"I...believe you but, there really is nothing I can do to stop him..." He said looking at the couple and he honestly felt sorry for them. He had grown up under the SR banner and was proud to sever with its people now that he was of age but he didn't want this. He heard his name being called and sighed. "I'm sorry, just...keep strong." He said quietly, standing and running to Jenrei.

"What were you doing talking to them?" He growled, not waiting for an answer, he struck the boy hard enough to put him on his backside. "Do not disobey me again, son." He growled darkly before stalking over to the two on the pole. "Ladies first, shall we pretty flower?" He said, in a foul mood as he untied Rasera from the pole and pulled her up by her hair earning a small noise of pain. He looked at Mask. "Tell me what you know." He said, holding the girl by her hair, his gaze fixed on Akar.

Jenrei watched Akar carefully, not liking his cool attitude. He liked to see his victims scream, to be in fear of him and this man was far to calm for his liking. Growling, he raised his arm and then swiftly smacked Rasera across the face. "Don't presume you can get comfy here, boy. Any and all information, I want it now." He growled, holding a limp Rasera by her hair.

Rasera was startled by the sudden attack, not having time to prepare herself and she didn't have much of a choice other than to simply not fight the man. There was a small trickle of blood coming from her mouth. She had bit her cheek when she was slapped. Pained eyes looked to Akar, she didn't want to be the cause of his suffering, didn't want to have to sit there and have him watch her helplessness. She felt such hatred coming off this man more than anything and it sent a cold chill down her spine.